National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) Practice Exam

Which therapeutic technique involves understanding family patterns and hidden motivations?

1. Life narrative therapy

2. Family systems therapy

3. Lifestyle assessment

4. Motivational interviewing

The correct answer is: Lifestyle assessment

The therapeutic technique that focuses on understanding family patterns and hidden motivations is family systems therapy. This approach examines the dynamics within a family unit and how these relationships affect each member's behavior and psychological health. It recognizes that individual issues can often be traced back to interactions and patterns established within the family. Family systems therapy seeks to identify these patterns, improve communication, and foster healthier relationships within the family, ultimately leading to positive individual outcomes. While lifestyle assessment may touch upon personal factors and choices that influence one’s way of living, it does not specifically address family dynamics or hidden motivations in the same way that family systems therapy does. Life narrative therapy centers around personal storytelling and how one's life narrative shapes their identity, rather than specifically dissecting family relationships. Motivational interviewing focuses on enhancing a client’s intrinsic motivation to change, typically in the context of behavioral changes, rather than understanding family dynamics.